Apparatus for treating granular material in a continuous process



P. TALMEY ETAL APPARATUS FOR TREATING GRANULAR MATERIAL 2,638,837

' IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 19, 1953 Filed April 26, 1948 ay 19 3 l P. TALMEY ETAL 2638837 APPARATUS FOR TREATING GRANULAR MATERIAL Filed April 26' 1948 1N A CONTINUOUS PROCESS' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patentecl May 19, 1953 APPARATUS FOR TREATING GRANULAR MATERIAL IN A CGNTINUOUS PROCESS Paul Talmey and Richard W. Landon, Chicago,

Ill., assignors to General American Transportation Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation `oi" New York Application April 26, 1948, Serial No. 23,226

5 Claims.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for treating granular material, wherein the material, though soaked, is treated so as to reduce the entrained liquid content thereof to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved autoclave wherein granular material is pressure-cooked under accurately controlled conditions.

Another object of the invention is toprovide apparatus for treating granular material in a continuous process, which can be manufactured economically and operated and maintained in proper working condition at low cost.

Further objects of the invention not specically mentioned here will be apparent from the detailed description and claims which follow,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by Way of example and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the steps of grading, steeping, and -dewatering of the material; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the steps of pressure-cooking, flash-steaming, drying, and cooling the material.

Many granular materials such as cere-als, wood pulps, and the like, are treated by soaking, steaming, etc., to prepare them for subsequent processing to produce a iinal product from the material. Many grains, rice for example, are treated by soaking `and heating preparatory to milling or otherwise processing the material to form a -product for human consumption. Wood chips and the like are likewise treated through the steps of soaking and cooking to disintegrate the granules into individual fibers which may be used in the manufacture of paper and other fibrous products. The apparatus of the present invention is adapted to such uses.

Heretofore, insofar as we are aware, treatment of granular material in the foregoing manner has been carried on principally by batch processes, wherein` a given quantity of material is put through successive steps of the processes as a unit, and in certain instances where the granular material has been mixed with and maintained in an admixture or solution of liquid, usually water, the processes have been continuous. The present invention provides an apparatus for carrying out the same, wherein the granular material is subjected tothe step of grading to remove under-developed and faulty granules preferably by a flotation-separation process. The firm `and normal weight granules are then steeped by 4immersion in liquids that are maintained at a desired temperature, and the steeping continued for a definite period of time to effect certain chemical and mechanical changes in the granules.

The steeped material is then subjected to the step or steps of dewatering to the end that the entrained water content thereof is reduced to a minimum and the steeped material is then passed into an autoclave where it is subjected to a higher temperature and pressure for a denite period of time to eiect further chemical and mechanical changes in the granules. The thus cooked material is then dehydrated in one or more steps, one of the steps preferably including nashsteaming which `quickly reduces surface moisture to a minimum, after which drying downl to a desired moisture content is accomplished and the dried material cooled to prepare it for subsequent operations.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail,

granular materials such as grain, for example,

are stored in a suitable bin, not shown, and introduced into the process and apparatus of the with it granules which are light because 0i" under-development, decay, `and thelike, as well as straws and other waste material, all of which have a lower density than the sound grain. This undesirable material floats with the surplus water out of the top of the separator into a suitable chute 5 which discharges into a storage bin 6 from which the material is subsequently Withdrawn and put to such further uses as may be suitable to it. Excess water flowing out of the separator 2 is returned through suitable piping 'I to a sump or tank from which it is withdrawn for further use.

Located at the bottom of the separator 2 is a measuring device 8 which, for the purpose of illustration, is shown as a star valve that is driven ata constant speed by a .suitable vsource of power :such afs the motor 9, so 'as l'to pass a measured quantity of material on to the apparatus that performs the next step in the process. As shown, the star valve is belt-driven, but it is contemplated that the source .of 'po'lwe'r i9 -may be connected to the valve througlhlsuitable'gearing which serves also to reduce the speed of the valve down to the desired value. 'Sdlid material that has settled to the bottom of the separatcr i motor is directly connected to the screw, but,

as Will be understood by those skilled in the art., suitable reduction `gears will be employed.

IThe conveyor lil conducts themateria'lfinto one olf 'a plurality of steeping tanks of which two tanks "I2 `and i3 iare shown, the tank to which the material is 'referred "being determined by suitable means suchas .gate 'valves 'Iwhich 'ar-e opened, one at a time, to 'permit the material to pass from the conveyor into lthe .selected tank.

The number and Asize of the tanks, such as I2 and I3, will depend upon the details of the process 'to be carried out by the equipment. Preferably each tank has sumcient capacity to hold all .of the material that the equipment is designed to process in a given unit of time, an hourfor example, and the number of tanks provided is made vto correspond with the number of hours .that the material is to be subjected yto the steeping process. Equipment for emptying the tank .is-provided to have such -capacityasto require the same unit of time to empty the tank as vwas required-for -lling, so that the steeping time .to which the material .is subjected can be readily controlled.

Each of the tanks, such-as I2 and I3, receives the'steepingliquid, usually water, from a header I5, through a control valve I and an 4.orifice I1. -Water maintained at the desired temperature is supplied. to the header at a denite pressure `by suitable means, not shown, and when the valve IE is `opened to `permit this water to pass through the orifice I'l the rate of rlow yof water will be uniform in all of the tanks. Water thusiadmitted to the steeping tanks rises through the material therein and Aiiows out of the top thereof through suitable drains I8, from which it iscarried bypiping i9 to asump or tank from whichfit is drawn for furtheruse. The material level :in the tank ismaintained-below that of the drains -I' so that none lof the material passes outof--the tank-with the water,

Locatedat the bottom of each of the steeping tanks'is van ejecting device which, in the exampleshown, also consists of a star value driven by afsu-itable source of power-such as the motor 21|.. 'Othersuitable-devices for removingmaterial from'the tanks 'at a uniform and measured rate mayy be provided within the teachings of the invention. `Within each tan-kand'near the bottom thereof is. a suitable meansfsuchv as ya bairley 201"'to. prevent tunneling.- of vtheY material from the centerof the tank.

Y'I'he. Aextracting devices Y2li discharge into va suitable. conveyor'shown 'as la screw conveyor 22, that-is'.l driven by' a suitable-'source or powersuchas a motor 23, and serves to convey the material to a vertical screw lift 24 that is driven by a suitable source of power such as a motor 25. The casing of the conveyor 22 is provided with drain openings 26 through which entrained water discharged from the steeping tanks with the material is drained orf and carried 'by suitable piping 21 to a sump or tank from which it is withdrawn `for further use. While a screw conveyor is preferable and lends itself well to the draining of liquidi-from 'the granular material, other types of conveyorsmaybe 'used within the teachings of the invention.

YIhe-.''granular material is discharged from the verticalscrewl'ift through a suitable duct '28 into a surge tank 29 which serves merely to insure that a supply of material will always be at "hand for introduction into the pressure apparatus vof Ythe system. If it could be guaranteed that the flow of material from the steeping tanks would be maintained constant at all times, the use -o'f surgetank 29 might be eliminated; however., the operator o'f-the equipment may not shift from-one steep'i'ng tank to another precisely at the instant 'that the former tank 'is 'completely emptied, and consequently there may be 'short intervals of time lwhen no material is `flowing into the ysurge tank 2'9. This tank retains asufcient quantity of material to tide over such intervals., thereby insuring 'that there will always be lavailable a quantity of material for uniform movement through 'the pressure system.

Located at the bottom of the surge tank is a suitable extracting device shown as a star valve 3D, driven by a suitable source of .power 3| which removes material at la uniform measured rate and discharges it into a conveyor 32 shownas a screw conveyor driven by a suitable source 'of power 33, which screw conveyor '32 discharges into a vertical screw lift 3! that in turn is driven bya suitable source of power The casing of conveyor -32 contains drain ports '36 through which any water that may still be entrained in the material is drained oli and conducted through suitable `piping 3'1 toa sump or tank from which it lis withdrawn for further use. The vertical screw lift 34 discharges through a suitable fduct v38 to a `measuring `deviceshown as a start valve 39 that is driven by a suitable source of power such as the motor 40. The casings of the conveyor 32, vertical screw lift 34, duct 38, and star valve 39 are all made pressure-tight so that the pressure within these devices may be maintained at a value other than atmospheric, as will presently appear.

.The measuring device 3i? functions to determine the .rate of new of the granular material into the autoclave, and while-this device normally operates at a constant speed so as to maintain a uniform rate of flow of material, this speed may be varied so asto vary the quantity of material treated per unit of time. rhe star valve 39 serves primarily as la pressure seal and ordinarilyl will be run at such a speed `as will enable it to handle even more material per unit of time than it receives from the device 43tlg that is to say, the rate of flow of material into the autoclave is controlled solely by the-device Sil rather than by the combined action of devices 3E) and 332.

Star valve 33 discharges into an autoclave 4I preferably consisting of a. generally cylindrical pressure-tight container or tank disposed with its axis vertical. The granular material on entering the tank falls upon a suitable means, such asia vbaiile 42. which serves to break up any matted together granules that may appear, it being preferable that insofar as possible the granules within the autoclave sha1-l be individual and each completely separated from the other.

Steam from a suitable source, not shown, is admitted `through piping 43 under the control of a valve 44 to tangentially disposed nozzles 45, one or more cfwhich are located around the perimeter of the tank at points just below the baille or breaking-up means 42. Steam emitted from these nozzles will travel in a path substantially tangentially of the walls of the autoclave and will engage the granular material as it falls` off of the -breaking-up device 42 and will impart a whirling motion to that material, which Vmotion serves to further break up masses therein and to distribute the material substantially uniformly across the tank. 'I'he pressure and temperature to be maintained in the autoclave will depend upon the requirements of the particular material being processed. In the case of cereals, low pressures may prevail. In the case of wood products being digested into pulp, higher pressures will ordinarily be used. In some instances the pressures may be as high as one hundred fifty pounds, l

With measuring devices 30 and 39 running at a uniform speed, and with an ample supply of granular material maintained in the surge tank, the material will be fed into the autoclave at a constant rate of speed. Each time the star valve operates, a small quantity of steam Will pass from the autoclave through the star valve into the pressure-tight conveying system; however, this steam will be at a temperature relatively higher than the system and material in it, with the result that although the pressure in the conveying system will rise above atmospheric pressure it ordinarily will not be as high as the pressure inthe autoclave. In instances where the apparatus is run for long periods of time without shutdown, and under conditions minimizing the loss of heat, the conveyor system may eventually build up a pressure approximately equalling that of the autoclave. In instances where the autoclave is operated at high pressures, more than one device, such as the star valve 39, may be employed at the outgoing end of the conveying systemfand if necessary suitable vents may be provided to enable controlling the pressure within the conveying system, the plurality of valves serving as a pressure lock.

Located at the bottom of the autoclave is an extracting device, also shown as a star valve 46, that is driven by a suitable source of power such as a motor 41, through a suitable variable speedreducing device 48, so that the rate of extracting of the processed material from the autoclave can be accurately controlled.

In most processes, the time during which the material is subjected to the heat and pressure in the autoclave is of the utmost importance, and it is therefore necessary to `maintain accurate control so that the length of time that the material is in the autoclave will be accurately determined. To this end, in the device showr 1,`the extracting valve 46 is designed tor be operated between limits which are just above andljust below the rate of flow of the material. Thus, for example, if the feeding devices 39 and 3U are set to operate so as to inject ten cubic feet of material per minute into the autoclave, extracting device 46 may be adjusted to operate at a lower limit of nine cubic feet per minute and an upperlimit of eleven cubic feet per minute.

Located in the top of the tank is a rod 49 that extends down tothe plane in which it is desired to maintain the upper level of the material in the autoclave. able means 50 from the walls of the tank and connected electrically to a control device 5I that is connected through a suitable source of power, diagrammatically illustrated as a battery 52, to the walls of the tank. The control device so illustrated may consist of a relay which will be operated when the level of the material in the autoclave builds up to suchi a height that it engages the bottom end of the contact rod 49, thereby closing a circuit from the walls of the autoclave through the material and rod to the relay in the control device. This relaywill then operate and close circuits for the control 53 `of the variable speed drive 48, operating that control to increase the speed of the extractingvalve 46 fromv the lower to the upper limit. Material will then be extracted from the autoclave at a rate slightly greater than the incoming rate, with the result that the level of the material will fall. As soon as this level has fallen suiciently to break the engagement of the material with the contacting rod 49, the control relay device 5I will re-operate to reset the speed-reducing device 48 to the lower limit, whereupon the level of material in the autoclave will start rising again. By proper adjustment of the limits of rate of operation of the withdrawal valve 46 and the sensitivity of the control devices, the level of the material in the autoclave can be maintained constant within narrow limits, and consequently the length of time that the material is subjected to the steam in the autoclave can thus be accurately controlled. The particular type of control equipment employed for this purpose is not of the essence of the prese-nt inventiony as there are a number of suitable devices available upon the open market which may be employed and operated to produce the results sought, within the teachings of the invention.

Processed materials extracted from the autoclave bythe valve 45 are discharged into a conveyor 54 which is driven by a suitable source of power, such as the motor 55, and discharges intov a vertical screw lift 56 which is driven by a suitable source of power 5l. The conveyor 54 and vertical screw lift are similar in construction to the conveyor and lift 32 and 34, respectively, and

The vertical screw lift 5S discharges through a suitable pressure-tight duct 60 into an extracting device, such as star valve 6l, which is driven at a constant rate of speed by a suitable source of power such as the motor 62.

Since the conveyor 54, vertical screw lift 5B, and discharge duct 6E are pressure-encased, pres- `sure therein may build up 'to a point approximately equal lto that in the autoclave, although 'Ihis rod 49 is insulated by suit-` under the sole control 'of lvalve #E rather than under 'the join't xcontrol of 'devices '4t and f'l. ln instances wherezpressure 'in the autoclave is Vprac-- ticalLv-atmospheri'c, star valves `3Zi and Gi maybe eliminated entirely.

`E'ktracting valve "l .discharges yinto a `flashsteamin'g tank S3 'which .is maintained at a re duced pressure by a suitable aspirating'device .64 which functions to drain ofi 'vapors released from the material and to "condense those vapors which are collected .and lconducted by suitable :piping 65 to `thesump or tank 'from .which they are Withdrawn for further use "in the apparatus. The

' sudden reduction of pressure on the V-rnaterial which is at a relatively `high temperature, Will cause Iasiif-steamin'g of condensate that may be adhering tothe outer `surfaces of the granules. The vila-shstaar/ninfa: tank 63 is ynot air-tight,.and there may be a y'certain flow of air through the material, which flow'will aid inremoving as much ofthe `moisture as possible lirom the material.

The flash tank `discharges through a suitable duct 66 into a -drier 6l may convenient-ly be a drum type rotary drier vof suitable capacity. The material is dried 'down to adesi-red moisture content in this drier fand discharged therefrom through a duct 68 into a surge hints, from which it 'is withdrawn through a duct 'it and `passed into acoolin-g "device 'H which vmay be similar in construction to the/drier. The material is cooled downto a point at or near room temperature and discharged from the cooler into a suitable conveyor T2 Which-conducts it into bins where it can be stored preparatory for the next step in the processto which the material to besu-bjected. The .particular construction of the dry-ing and cooling equipment is not -oi the essence of .the present invention as there *are `available` on the open market many devices suitable for use herein. In ccrtaininstances where the reduction inthe moisture content in the produ-ct .must be :gra-dw al, two 'or .more sets of equipment may be ernployed and the material put through 'a .first drier which removes approximately fifty .per cent. of the-total Iamount yoftmoisture to-b'e removed from it, and the .material then passedinto la suitable cooler :and from'it Ato a tempering tank wherein the :material is allowed to stan-d for a period of time suiricient lto equalize the moisture content of the inside and outside portions of the granules., after which the :material is again dried Ito remove 'the remainder or the moisture .thatmust beremovc'd to bring it 4down to a desired content, and 'cooled as above.

'The fioregoing equipment may be put to use in theprocessingof ahum-ber of diierent materials, and the various 4controlsvaried to meet the requirements-o the particular material. In one instance, Where paddy'rice :is being treated, the material ows through the separa-toi' 2 which remove-s the unsound and light grains yand certain waste materials which -arelo'ated oif, dried, and employed in the making of cattlefeed and the like. sound grains are lpassed into one ofthe -steeping bins Where they are immersed in water-that is maintained at a temperature of 200 the material being soaked in this water Afor a perioclof nine hours. In lsuch an instal-lation, nine steeping tanks may conveniently lbe used, each having a capacity sufficient to llio-ld yone hours supply of the .material at the rate that ythe plant is ydesigned to process the material. The paddy lthus Asteeped is conveyed through `thesystem through .the autoclave where it 'is subjected tosteam'at fifteen pounds ipress-ure Ifor a period of lthree to live minutes :to effect gelati'nization of :the starch 'within the 'ricekernels 4after-which the material is extractedfrom the autoclave, dash-steamed to remove surface moisture1 and dried 4clown to a moisture y"content'ofapproximate-- ly fifteen per cent. and cooled, and then 'conducted to devices 'for milling the paddy to nremove .the hulls and bran from the kernels. Rice so treated absorbs and retains much of the nutrient value lcontained in the hull vand bran, Tin cluding certain vitamins, vwith the result that the .rice is more nutritious than untreated rice, possesses `a distinctive nutty flavor., Aand has a col-or which is lighter than rice processed by methods 'of the prior art 'of which we are aware. The yrice kernels so processed possess an attra-ctive light color, rather the characteristic brownish color of the prior art processes.

The equipment of our invention has been illustrated by showing and describing a .preferred embodiment of it. The. apparatus is used in carrying out a process that involves steepin-g-and cooking, as before, with the step of -dewatering the material to remove all, or substantially all, of the entrained Water from it,-so that the material when cooked, although containing much .ab-.

sorbed moisture, is rela-tively fre@ of entrained moisture. The prior art methods have involved cooking the material while immersedor substantially immersed in condensate and water. The advantages of lour improved apparatus reside principally in improvement in the `ahperl-rance and quality of the iinis-hed product and in lower operating y and-ecniipment costs.

While we have chosen to illustrate our invention by showing and'fdescribing a preferred embodiment oi" it, we have done so -by way of example only, as there are many modiiications and adaptations which can 4be made by lone .skilled in the art within the teachings of the invention.

IHaving thus complied with the statutes, and shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, what we consider new and ydesire to have protected by Letters Patent is pointed out in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A pressure cooker for heating granular material in a continuous process comprising: a pressure-tight generally cylindrical tank; means at the top of 'said tank for moving the .material into the tank against the pressure therein; baille means xed in said tank against which the material moves y.and Aby which the material is 'separated into substantially individual .granule masses; steam jet means in said tank disposed in juxtaposition to said bafe means and through which steam Aplays on the material substantially tangentially 'of said tank to impart awhirling motion to the material and to distribute Iit #substantially uniformly across the tank; a starvalve at the bottom of 'the tank for Iextracting the processed material therefrom; a variable speed driving means for .said valve.; a contact rod projecting into said tank and terminating in .the plane of the desired level of .materia-l in the tank; and means actuated .by the material in 'said tank engaging said rod for controlling said variable speed drivi-ngmeans to vary the speed of roperation ofsaid starv valve and thereby adjust the level oi 'the material in the tank.

2. An autoclave for heating vgranular material in a continuous process comprising: a lgenerally cylindrical Apressure-tight tank disposed with its axis vertical.; 'a star-valve located-abovethe tank.; means for oper-ating :said valve at a constant speed to force the material to be treated into the tank at a uniform rate; a generally conical baiTle fixed in said tank on which the material falls on entering the tank; tangentially disposed steam nozzle means located around the inside of the tank and near the lower edge of said baille; means for admitting steam into the tank through said nozzle means, said steam striking the material falling from said baffle to disperse the same so that the material is composed substantially of individual granules which are distributed by the steam uniformly across the tank; a star valve located at the bottom of the tank; a Variable speed drive mechanism for driving said latter valve to extract material from the tank; a generally conical baille fixed in the tank above said latter star valve to prevent funneling of the material moving out of the tank; `and means for varying the speed at which said drive mechanism operates said latter star valve thereby to adjust the level of material in the autoclave.

3. An autoclave for heating granular material in a continuous process comprising, a generally cylindrical tank disposed with its axis vertical; means in the top of said tank for moving material to be treated into the tank at a uniform rate of speed; means in the tank on Which the material falls on entering the tank for dispersing the same; means including tangentially disposed nozzles in the tank for playing live steam on the material as it leaves said dispersing means; means at the bottom of the tank for removing *treated material therefrom; a variable speed driving mechanism for operating said material removing means; and means for controlling said variable speed driving mechanism to adjust the rate of removal of the material and thereby maintain a substantially constant level of material in the autoclave.

4. An autoclave as claimed in claim 3, in which there is a contact within the autoclave engaged by the material thereby to close an electrical circuit over which adjustment of the variable speed driving mechanism is controlled.

10 5. A pressure cooker for heating granular ma terial in a continuous process comprising: a pressure-tight tank; a materials introducing pressure lock at the top of said tank; bafe means in said tank below said lock; steam jets disposed in said tank in juxtaposition to said baille means; a materials removing pressure lock at the bottom of said tank; a variable speed driving means for at least one of said locks; a contact rod projecting into said tank and terminating in the plane of the desired level of material in the tank; and means including an electrical circuit closed through said rod and the material in the tank for controlling said driving means.

PAUL TALMEY.

RICHARD W. LANDON.

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